LA JOLLA, Calif. (Sept. 21, 2023) – The UC Santa Barbara Women's Volleyball team (10-2, 0-0 Big West) are heading into Big West play as they start the conference slate with a road trip to UC San Diego and Long Beach State.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Gauchos were in Ames, Iowa for the Cyclone Invitational. UC Santa Barbara finished the weekend 2-1, taking down the No. 23 Iowa State Cyclones and the Ohio University Bobcats while dropping a match to the Drake University Bulldogs. Michelle Ohwobete finished on the All-Tournament team yet again after averaging 4.82 kills per set while hitting at a .379 clip across all three matches.
 
TAMING THE TRITONS
UC San Diego currently has an 8-4 record, winning their last four non-conference matches against Denver, Tennessee State, Jackson State and Belmont. They also grabbed other wins this season against Fresno State, Kent State, Idaho and Gonzaga.
 
The Tritons are coming off two players earning Player of the Week honors in Ava McInnes and Lauren Brooker. McInnes was named Offensive Player of the Week after averaging 4.92 kills per set as Tournament MVP while Brooker received Freshman of the Week honors after earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team. McInnes is also the offensive leader for the Tritons, as she is the only player in the triple-digits with 151 kills.
 
The Tritons are coached by Ricci Luyties, who is in his 13th season with the program. He has been in La Jolla since 2010, guiding UC San Diego Volleyball through their transition into Division I status. Over the course of his entire career, including six seasons at Southern Mississippi, he has accumulated an overall record of 296-239.
 
BATTLING THE BEACH
Long Beach State University went 3-0 in their final non-conference tournament of the season, defeating Arizona, Alabama State and New Mexico State in Tucson. The Beach also took down Omaha, Indiana and No. 1 Texas earlier in the season.
 
The Beach are running a 5-1 offense with 2022 All-Big West Second Team honoree Zayna Meyer leading the way as the sophomore has 348 assists.
 
During the offseason, the Beach brought in plenty of new talent including Power Five transfers from Oregon, Northwestern and Utah to go along with seven freshmen.
 
Long Beach State has a well-rounded offense led by its three outside hitters. Elise Agi has 65 kills, Hanna Lesiak has 64 kills and Katie Kennedy has 63 kills. The defense is led by libero Savana Chacon, who currently has 149 digs on the season.
 
The Beach are coached by Tyler Hildebrand, who is in his second season with the program. Prior to this position, he was the associate head coach at Nebraska, helping the team to three Elite Eight appearances during that time.
 
WHEREABOUTS
The first match of the weekend will be at the Liontree Arena in La Jolla, California as the Gauchos take on the Tritons. First serve will be at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 22 with a live stream through ESPN+. Following that match, UC Santa Barbara will head to Long Beach to take on the Beach. This match will take place on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. with a live stream also available through ESPN+.